Rio Ferdinand has placed a question mark over his football future by admitting
he is not certain to extend his career beyond the end of his Manchester
United contract next summer.

Ferdinand, who celebrated his 34th birthday last Wednesday, has yet to open talks with Manchester United over an extension to his deal.

With the former England captain having overcome a lengthy battle against a persistent back injury in recent months, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted at Ferdinand being offered a new contract by insisting that the £30 million signing from Leeds United can play into his late thirties.

But despite Ferguson’s positive assessment of Ferdinand’s recent form and fitness, the player himself admits he will begin to consider his future next month before making a final decision at the end of the season.

“It is always good to hear the manager say things like that,” Ferdinand told Inside United. “But you have to take every week and month as it comes. The best thing I can do is to look at it at Christmas, and then again in the summer, to see how I’m feeling and go from there.

“But hearing the manager say things like that definitely puts the spring back in your step.”

Having been overlooked by England for Euro 2012, Ferdinand benefited from a summer free of international football, but he admits he has yet to discover whether the positive effects of his extended summer break will continue into the second half of the season.

“I’ll have a better idea of that in December or January time when the games start coming thick and fast.” Ferdinand said.

“That is when it really hits you and you know the hard work really has to start. I’ll probably get a better gauge of where I’m at fitness-wise and the benefit of having the summer off then.”

Ferdinand admitted during United’s pre-season tour of South Africa and China that he did not expect contract negotiations to begin until the new year, but it is understood that talks are planned and a one-year offer will be made by the club, albeit with a lower salary than his current £110,000-a-week deal.

Discussions over a testimonial next summer have begun, but with interest in Ferdinand from teams in China, the Middle East and the United States, the former West Ham youngster could be tempted to move overseas if United fail to offer a new contract.

Ferdinand’s admission that he will assess his state of mind in the summer is the first time he has raised the prospect of retirement, however.

United, meanwhile, will assess the fitness of Wayne Rooney on Tuesday following his withdrawal from the England squad for Wednesday’s friendly against Sweden with an ankle injury sustained against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Rooney is understood to have suffered a cut above the ankle, but the problem is unlikely to sideline him for Saturday’s trip to Norwich.